Toyama AJET Newsletter
Vol.1, No.1, July 2008
In this issue…
Charity Show 2008

p. 1

A message from the pres…

Nara AJET Charity

p. 2

Are We There Yet?

p. 3

Got books?

p. 4

Leaver’s Weekend

p. 5

Crafts in Toyama

p. 6

T.R.A.M.

p. 6

What’s Happening

p. 7

Greetings and salutations! Tiffany here, comin' at ya
with the first Toyama AJET newsletter! Whether it's
trips around Japan, charity opportunities, local events,
books, or…ummm…random ass stuff (a.k.a. the
T.R.A.M.), the AJET team is here to help bring JETs
from every region in Toyama together for some good
fun and great memories! We sincerely hope you enjoy
the newsletter, and don't forget, this is all about you!
If you've got any suggestions or anything to add, be it
funny stories, pictures, or information on future
events, don't hesitate to send it my way. And don't
forget to check out the "what's happening" calendar
at the back of each newsletter! Peace!

“You Ain’t Never Had a Friend Like We!”
A big お 疲 れ (otsukare) to
everyone who contributed to this
year’s charity show! The project
takes about 9 months from start to
finish, making it one of Toyama’s
largest, most impressive charity
endeavors. The show features acts
from both the Japanese and JET
community, and it is a
collaborative effort the entire ken
can be proud of!
Each year, 100% of the
proceeds are donated to one local,
one
national,
and
one
international charity. This year’s
local charity is Toyama-shi
Aiikuen, an orphanage in
Toyama-ken. The national charity
is Second Harvest Japan, the
nation’s first nationally organized
food bank. The international
charity is heifer International, a
group that donates work cows to
families who can use them to help
maintain a sustainable food

Ruben van Mansum, singing an
original “love” (?!) song for the
variety show
supply. The total amount
earned is yet to be determined,
but we’ll let you know as soon
as we find out!

This year’s variety show
included enchanting shadow
puppetry,
old-school
“trumpetriations”, a variety of
Japanese dances including
Mugiya and Yosakoi, and
colorful (if not downright
hilarious!)
musical
performances by talented
musicians from across the ken.
The play was Snow White
and the 7 (…but really it was
6…) Otaku. In addition to the
traditional cast of characters,
it featured Densha Otaku and
his companions Gundam,
Video
Game,
Cosplay,
Pokemon,
and
Drunk
Salaryman; Snow White’s
jealous little sister, Yellow
Snow; a small army of ninjas
with big dreams; and a very
hungry bear.
The cast and crew would
like to thank directors Joshua

National AJET News: Ride for Africa - a Nara JET's Charity Event
A departing JET in Nara is
embarking on a very ambitious
and exciting project when his
contract finishes - basically he is
going to cycle Japan tip to tip to
raise money and awareness for
sustainable agriculture and food
security in Africa. Please read
his statement below, and get
behind his amazing project by
donating through his just giving
link, support him in person when
he passes through your town, or
get in touch to join him for any
leg of the ride!
I am a South African living and
working in Japan on the Japan
Exchange
and
Teaching
Programme (JET). With the
conclusion of my contract at the
end of July this year, I will
embark on an adventure and a
project I have long dreamt of –
cycling the length of Japan and
raising awareness and funds for a
development
organization
working in Africa.

Background
I have an educational background
in
Development
Studies,
Environmental
Science
and
Human Geography from the
University of Cape Town, South
Africa. For the past two years, I
have lived and worked as an
English teacher in Mitsue Village
in eastern Nara Prefecture. I am a
keen cyclist and photographer,
and enjoy the outdoors.
For a long time I have been
interested in sustainable and
organic agriculture and have seen
agriculture as a tangible means to
lessen the effects of poverty and
the global food crisis. This is
where I would like to base myself
in
the
larger
frame
of
development – working the land
and helping provide one of the
most basic needs. I want to
support an organisation that
focuses on food security. Garden
Africa
http://www.gardenafrica.org.uk/in
dex.html is that

organization because of its ethos
and the fact that it operates so
close to my home country.
Event
I will ride the length of Japan
from its northern most point in
Hokkaido (Soyā Misaki) to the
southern most tip of Kyushu (Sata
Misaki). This is an approximate
distance of 3500km (2190 mi)
over a period of six weeks. I will
live off my bicycle, camping and
relying on the good will of people
along the route. The starting date
is 04 August 2008. The event is
open to whoever wishes to join or
contribute in any way they feel
able.
I have setup a web page with the
help
of
Just
Giving
at
http://www.justgiving.com/chetan
rama . This will be the primary
means for collecting funds. Any
other funds collected offline will
be receipted and deposited into
the fundraising account at the end
of the event.

Toyama AJET Newsletter
Vol.1, No.1, July 2008

Page 3

Are We There Yet? Adventures with Ally
Greetings one and all from
your
new
Excursions
Representative. First, I’d better
introduce myself to those who
don’t know me.
My name is Ally. I’m British.
I was born and brought up in
London, although I’ve spent the
last 5 or so years trying to get as
far away from it as possible, first
to university in Kent, and then by
travelling to anywhere in Europe
my budget would take me. The
JET lottery placed me in Uozu,
famous for parties at Halloween,
mirages, and 100 yen sushi. I
teach in a junior high school. My
hobbies are writing and taking
photographs, and I do these best
on the move. In my year here
I’ve climbed Fuji, meditated in
the mountains, thrown far too
many all-nighters in Kanazawa
and travelled to Laos, Thailand
and Vietnam.
My main purpose is enable
you to do what most of you
probably came here to do: see
Japan.
There are three trips
planned for the coming year (a
33% increase on last year’s
outings) and they should cater for
a wide variety of tastes. I also
plan to write little instalments
about my solo adventures so this
won’t be the last you hear from
me.
The first trip of the new JET
year will once more be an assault
on Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest,
holiest,
and
most
iconic
mountain. To increase the sense
of adventure, we will climb at
night, to make the most of the
incredible sunset and sunrise from
3776m above sea level.

It’s an unparalleled experience
and definitely one to tick off the
‘Things to See Before You Die’
list. It IS a challenge, but don’t
let that put you off. It makes the
big event of the sunrise that much
more special when you’re
exhausted and low on oxygen.
The second trip, sometime in
the autumn, will be to Kyoto.
There is more to see in Kyoto
than one trip could do justice to,
but we aim to see all the main
sites. Kyoto is an amazing place
to get a real feel for Japan as it
once was, and the entertaining
people of the Kansai region are
sure to make our stay a good one.
I insist on guiding you to the eerie
and magical Fushimi Inari shrine
in the evening, an incredible place
criminally forgotten by the Rough
Guide to Japan.
It’s an
experience not to be missed.

The final trip, which didn’t run
last year, will go deep into the
mountains of Nagano around
Hakuba, for world class skiing
and snowboarding.

On the right day the views can be
stunning, and so can the clothes
that many young Japanese people
wear on the slopes. After a long
day on the slopes we can head to
the onsen and then get rid of our
aches with some local sake.
Hangovers are best cured by
throwing yourself down the
mountain again on the second
day.
If it’s your first time
snowboarding, don’t worry. I
learned here last winter, and there
will be plenty of young Japanese
and foreigners out for the
weekend who are also dire. Just
try not to watch the local
elementary school children, as
they often get lessons at school...
This is not your only chance to
frolic in the snow in the winter (I
plan to hit the slopes at least once
every two weeks), but it promises
to be one of the most entertaining.
That’s it for the official events.
However, being the restless sort
who always wants to know where
the party is happening (and unless
there’s something organised in
Banana’s, it’s not usually Uozu), I
venture out of the prefecture
regularly. I can offer advice on
how to get to places, things I’ve
seen and done which are off the
beaten track, or, if you’re really
lucky, I can go somewhere with
you. I’ve barely seen a fraction
of Japan but the experiences I’ve
had this past year mind blowing.
If you want to know where you
can sleep in an unheated shack
surrounded by bamboo under 3
feet of snow, I’m your man.
 Climbing Fuji
 Sightseeing in Kyoto
 Skiing in Nagano

Toyama AJET Newsletter
Vol.1, No.1, July 2008

Page 4

Got books?
Toyama Book Club
The regional AJET libraries
have a ton of great
books just laying around,
which is great for the
librarians, but what does
this all mean for you? The
libraries (or at least the
one here in Niikawa)
hasn't received much
publicity since I've been
here, but I would like to
change that by offering
some neat programs to
let
everyone
take
advantage of our vast
book collections.

In particular, I would
like to set up a Book Club
for Toyama. Basically, I
would just like a nice
informal group to read
books and get together
about once a month or
so to discuss them. I'm still
working on the details of
how this Club would work,
but before I can proceed
much further I need an
idea
of
how
many
people
would
be
interested in joining up.

If you've got a literary itch
to scratch and a free day
once a month, why not
give it a shot? I ask that
any
interested
folks
please send me an email
to

at: james.j.floyd@gmail.c
om or call my keitai at
(080)3045-8559.
Donating your books to
the ToyamaJET Library will
ensure that they remain in
circulation
for
the
enjoyment
of
your
successors
and
their
successors, and even your
great-great-great
successors, who will keep
your good graces in mind
as they flip through the
dusty, oxidized pages of
that Olde English classic,
"The Life of Pi".
Also, looking to get a
Book Club together for
the Toyama Region. We
would meet at various
comfy
locations
throughout the year to
discuss whatever the

current read is. More info
to come this Fall!

bmquimby@gmail.com
Input and suggestions are
also welcome!

Hey Folks!
The
Toyama-shi
JET
Library has been moved
to my pad.
I live in
Chateau Yasunoya, an
enchanted
Japanese
castle South of Toyamaeki by about 15 minutes
on foot. You can find my
place on the ToyamaJET
map,
under
"James'
House of Preasure". I also
live just above the Ami
Grill,
also
in
the
Handbook.
The new
library will be bigger and
better than ever, and it
even has its own room!
For
directions,
title
inquiries or wanting to set
up a time to drop off any
books
you
wish
to
donate to this great and
fast-growing
system,
please email me

Read On!
James

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re interested in
joining/starting a book
club in your local area, or
if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to check out
one of the many books our
AJET libraries carry,
contact your local AJET
librarian!
For an online list of books
each region carries, go to
http://toyamajets.net/inde
x.php/Main/AJET

Toyama AJET Newsletter
Vol.1, No.1, July 2008

Page 5

From the Desk of Your Friendly Social Repsâ&#x20AC;Ś
FAREWELL WEEKEND
As you should know by now, Leaver's weekend is happening July 5th-6th in
Toga. You must RSVP through the electronic evite that was sent to your email,
or by emailing the socialreps directly (socialreps@gmail.com).
Things you should be thinking about:
- Cars. How will I get there? You are to travel there by car. There are lots of
people driving there, so try and sort out a drive with one of those lovely carowning folks. I'm sure bribes are welcome. If you have exhausted your
resources and still turning up empty, please email us, and we will do our best
to help you out.
-AWARDS - this year is different! We are giving you guys the chance to submit
award nominations early. Prior to the event. If you have a creative mind, and
can think of something funny and well-natured to cerify someone from the
community - please send in: THE NAME OF THE AWARD (that you made up)
and THE NAME OF THE INDIVIDUAL who you want to give the award to. Like
previous years though, we will also be holding a vote at the party for more
broad award titles. You are also welcome to submit suggestions for these
voting categories! Let's award!
-- Friends! If you have any friends, or loved ones that you want to invite to
Toga to celebrate - that is fine and awesome. However, we need to have a
number count, so you need to let us know. We need to know how much to
fudge our numbers by, and how much food and booze to buy.
-- Monies. I know. I hate talking about money. But the way it is is that if you
aren't an AJET leaver, you have to pay money. All non-AJETs will have to pay
the same amount, even if you don't plan to eat any food or drink any beer.
We pay a big lump sum upfront for the privillege to rent and use the campsite.
The more people who feel that they should deduct yennies based on what
they did or didn't eat or where they did or didn't sleep -- it just becomes a
ridiculous mess. So please remember:
* Leaving AJET memebers = free!
* Leaving non-AJET people = 1000
* Staying AJET members = 3000
* Everyone else = 3500

Texass

Phew! With that out of the way. I
think that we're gonna have a
blast!!!!! You will get an email with
directions from the SocialRep email
account very soon. Hope to see you
in Toga!

and
Scotia,Eh!

Toyama AJET Newsletter
Vol.1, No.1, July 2008

Page 6

Getting Crafty in Japan

This month why not try painting clay dolls? It’s fun, it’s
cheap and it makes a great gift for mom or dad (they’ll
put it next to your macaroni art).
The Toyama Clay Doll Craftsmen's Workshop is located in
Toyama Folk Craft Village. Easiest way to get there is to
take the free Museum bus from the CIC building and walk
up the hill. The studio is on the left.
Hours: 9 -5, closed holidays.
Cost: ¥500 - ¥700
Telephone: 076-431-4464
http://kanko.toyamaken.jp/english/toyama_guide.html#7